Falcons entering season-defining 7-game stretch against division rivals

Winning divisional games is the No. 1 key for every team entering the season. You beat your division rivals and you often win the crown.

The Falcons have failed to do that in recent years which has turned into a long playoff drought. They must buck that trend now because five of their next seven games come against the Saints, Buccaneers, and Panthers.

• W4: vs. Saints
• W5: vs. Buccaneers
• W6: @ Panthers
• W7: vs. Seahawks
• W8: @ Buccaneers
• W9: vs. Cowboys
• W10: @ Saints

Their sixth and final divisional game comes in the final week when the Carolina Panthers come to town.

This is the critical stretch the Falcons must take advantage of. The NFC South seems to be heading toward another tight race and ending the season with a winning record against the other three teams could be the difference.

Falcons enter most critical stretch of the season

Every year teams have a scheduling quirk. For Atlanta, their quirk is playing all but one of their divisional games in a seven-week stretch. Like you couldn't have spaced them out more?

Anyway, exiting Week 10 with a losing record would be devastating. This will determine whether this team wins the division or not. While there are still three Wildcard teams, you must ensure your postseason berth by winning the crown.

This should be the top goal for Raheem Morris' team. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and can help propel you into next season.

Sunday's game against the Saints is the pivot point. You do not want to lose to your hated rival in your house. A loss would drop this team to 1-3 while the Saints would improve to 3-1. Win and you are right there with New Orleans with a head-to-head tiebreaker—for now.